Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 9911, Asael Goodridge, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Goodridge, Asael
S. 9911
CONTENTS
carded

Albany 30,348
Asael Goodridge
Monroe Co. in the State of N. York who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Gould of the Reg't commanded by Col. Fry - in the Mass. mil. for 8 months & 7 days
Inscribed on the Roll of Albany at the rate of 27 Dollars 43 Cents per annum. to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 25 th day of June. 1836 and sent to H. Gay Esq. Rochester, N. York.
Arrears to the 4th of Sept. '35. 123.43 Semi-annual allowance ending March '36. 13.71 $137.14
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Not June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk Book E-2- Vol. 4 Page 26

23314
In the matter
of
The application of Asahel Goodridge for a pension
Declaration & affidavits &c
Horace Gay District Attorney Rochester N.Y.
Admitted
Private 8 mo 27 days

affidavit of Thomas Goodridge to be used in the case of Asahel Goodridge, applicant for a pension
I Thomas Goodridge of Westmoreland in the county of Cheshire & State of New Hampshire aged Seventy six do make oath testify & say that Asahel Goodridge now of Sweden in the County of Munroe & State of New York is my brother that in the year of our Lord 1775 he resided in Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts & on the day of the Concord fight this Deponent & the said Asahel then belonging to a regiment of minute men commanded by Col. Fry, marched from D. Boxford to Concord & then pursued the enemy to Cambridge, where on the following day, by mistake not the time, the said Asahel Goodridge enlisted & served for the term of Eight months in the Company commanded by Captain Pearly in D. Col. Fry's regiment during which time our company was stationed at Cambridge then belonging to the same Company with my D. Brother Asahel & further say that after the expiration of said term of eight months we both at the request of our officers remained in the same company & there did duty for the term of six weeks more & until other troops came on to take our place - I further say that the D. Asahel was eighty one year old in June last -
Thomas Goodridge
Cheshire S.S. Be it known that on the 8 th day of November A.D. 1834 the said Thomas Goodridge who is known to me as a credible person personally appeared & made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true. Before me Nathan G. Babbitt Justice of the peace.

State of New Hampshire Cheshire
Henry Coolidge Clerk of the Superior Court of Justice for said County of Cheshire certify that Nathan O. Babbitt is a justice of the peace within and for said County of Cheshire duly qualified and commissioned - and that I believe his name subscribed to the within certificate to be his genuine signature
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court - at Keene this eighteenth day of August A.D. 1835.
H. Coolidge Clerk

I Peter Robinson of Castleton in the County of Rutland and State of Vermont, of lawful age being duly sworn upon oath, and say that about the 1 st of May in the year 1775 I enlisted as a private in the Company of Capt. William Perley for the term of eight months and served that length of time in said Company at Cambridge near Boston, Mass. - that when I joined said Company at Cambridge within a few days after I enlisted I found Asahel Goodridge in the same Com- pany, and knew that he served as a private soldier therein for the term aforesaid, - that the said Asahel had two brothers in the same Company the oldest Allen and the youngest Thomas who was about my age which was 77 last July - that the said Asahel was in age between the two brothers aforesaid - that the Company to which he belonged when I joined it was called men- tals men, - that during the term of eight months afore- said John Robinson was first Lieut, and Benjamin Per- ley second Lieut of said Company, and further say not Peter Robinson
State of Vermont } Castleton 26. March 1835 Personally Rutland County } appeared Peter Robinson signer of the above deposition, and made solemn oath that the facts therein stated are true Before me S. H. Merrill Justice Peace I also further certify that the said Peter Robinson is a man of good character for truth and veracity. S. H. Merrill Justice Peace.
My official signature may be found authenticated in a com- munication to the Com te of Pensions of Noah Lee of the present time

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress of the 7 th of June 1832
State of New York }
Monroe county } ss On this ninth day of October 1835 personally appeared before the judges of the court of common pleas in & for the said county of Monroe in open court Asael Good- ridge a resident of the town of Ogden in said county State aged Eighty two years on the 21 st day of June 1835 who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of congress passed 7 th June 1832 -
That he was born in the town of Bayford in Massachusetts on the twenty first day of June 1753. That he has no record or certificate of his age in his possession but he is informed & verily believes that his age is recorded in the town clerks office of the town of Bayford aforesaid -
That he entered the service of the united States under the following named officer and served in the manner as is hereinafter stated -
That in September 1774 the declarant belonged to a militia company in the town of Bayford aforesaid commanded by a captain Jacob Gould who derived his commission either from the British government or from the provincial or colonial authorities The Major of the militia regiment to which

5 This company belonged was Asa Pearly. That in the said month of September 1774 when the colonists were beginning to prepare themselves for the breach with the mother country and the war which would necessarily ensue. Major Pearly proposed to the two companies of this militia regiment belonging to Boyford to make up a company of seventy five efficient men fully equipped for the purpose of acting against the British, and proposed to the companies that if they would do so they would have the liberty of choosing their own officers. That upon this offer seventy five men accordingly volunteered out of the two companies among whom was the declarant. The declarant was the first who volunteered and the first man who subscribed his name on the roll of the company. About a week after this the new company met & made choice of their officers. The officers elected on that occasion were William Pearly captain John Robinson first Lieutenant and Benjamin Pearly second Lieutenant. That the declarant in consequence of old age & the loss of memory, cannot say distinctly that the Lieutenant Robinson here mentioned was the first or second Lieutenant, but at all events he is certain that John Robinson and Benjamin Pearly were the Lieutenants of the company. That to the best of the applicant's recollection a regiment was formed to which said applicant's company belonged. The regiment was commanded by Colonel James Fry . The Lieutenant Colonel's name was Brichett his Christian name this deponent cannot

recollect - The majors name was Thomas Boor and to the best of the declarants recollection Benjamin Foster was the quartermaster That from the time of the declarants volunteering as aforesaid which was sometime in the month of September 1774 the particular day this declarant by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory cannot state, to the 19 th of April 1775 as after mentioned this declarants company exercised one day in each week in the said town of Boyford, and held themselves in readiness to come out on a minutes warning - That on or about the 19 th of April 1775 on occasion of the alarm of invasion the company of declarant were ordered to march and immediately marched from Boyford to the town of Natick in Massachusetts about seventeen miles from Boyford - That they staid about a week there & then marched to Cambridge where they continued until about the month of July 1775 doing duty in watching fatigue parties, building forts &c - That about the beginning of July 1775 General Washington took the command, and to the best of this declarants recollection declarants regiment & company was incorporated in the continental line, but no change was made in the officers - That when General Washington took the command the declarants Regiment enlisted for either eight or nine months - This declarant enlisted for nine months but he may be mistaken in this in consequence of his loss of memory as aforesaid and the

his service except Thomas Goodridge and Peter Robinson whose affidavits duly authenticated are herewith produced - That at the time Thomas Goodridge's affidavit was taken the declarant resided in Sweden in said county of Monroe - That the affidavit of the said Goodridge states that declarant & the said Goodridge at the request of their officers staid six weeks beyond the expiration of the Eight months, which may be the fact which makes this declarant think the period of his service was nine and not eight months.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn to & subscribed the } Asael Goodridge day & year aforesaid } in open court James Smith Judge Monroe County Court.
We Alphens Goodridge ————— residing in the town of Ogden in the county of Monroe and state of New York and Samuel Bishop ————— residing in the town of Sweden in the said county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Asael Goodridge who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be Eighty two years of age and that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to

8- enlistment might have been for Eight months, but the declarant swears positively it was not less than Eight months. That the declarant thereafter thereafter continued in service as a private in said company & regiment as aforesaid at Cambridge doing regular duty as aforesaid till sometime in the month of May 1776 the particular day he cannot state in consequence of his loss of memory as aforesaid, when the applicant with the rest of the company who had enlisted for the same period were discharged. That this declarant received a written discharge but what has become of it now this declarant cannot state, but he supposes the same to be lost, as he cannot now find it. That he took no particular care of it never supposing that it would be of any use to him.
That the above is the whole of the applicant's service. That he engaged no farther in the war as he was obliged to stay at home with his father who had no one but declarant to take charge of his farm.
That the exact period of declarant's service from September 1774 to May 1776 as a private as aforesaid & in the manner aforesaid declarant cannot state to a day, but he swears positively he served not less than nineteen months in the manner aforesaid.
That he has no documentary evidence of his service and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure as to

have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion sworn & subscribed the } Alpheus Goodridge day & year aforesaid } Samuel Bishop in open court James Smith
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he states. and the court further certify that it appears to them that Alpheus Goodridge & Samuel Bishop - who have signed the preceding certificate are residents of the said town of Agden in the said county of Monroe and that they are credible persons & entitled to credit in their statements and further that it appears to this court that no clergyman resides in the vicinity of the said applicant.
Joseph Sibley Marshall James Smith } Judges

Samuel G. Andrews clerk of the court of common pleas in & for the county of Monroe & State of New York do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Asael Goodridge for a pension - In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this ninth day of October 1835 Samuel G. Andrews clerk

Oct 6 N.Y.
For
The secretary of War Washington
pension documents
[Faint, mirrored bleed-through text from the reverse side of the envelope]

Oct 6 NY. ROCHESTER OCT 10
For
The secretary of War Washington
pension documents
(Faint mirrored handwriting from the reverse side of the envelope)

N. York Asael Goodrich Suspended See letter to H. Gay Esq. Rochester, N.Y. 2. Nov. 1835

Rev. h. w.
9911
INVALID.
Q
File No. 9911
Asahel Goodridge
Pris. Rev. war.
Act: June 7th 1832
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 146
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Rocheester N. Y. Oct 1835
Sir,
Inclosed I send you the declaration of Asael Goodridge for a pension - The affidavit taken before J. H. Merrill the Justice in the state of Vermont is not authenticated otherwise than by a reference to the authentication of his official signature in the case of Noah Lee on your files, as you will perceive by a memorandum by the Justice at the foot of the affidavit.
The papers sent I apprehend sufficiently establish Mr Goodridge's right to a pension & which if allowed will be well bestowed as the old man, altho to my own knowledge a very honest & upright individual, has by a series of calamities & misfortunes been reduced to a state of extreme distress destitution. I have the honor to be
For The Secretary of War
Sir Your Very ob t Servant H. Gay

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Nov r 17 th 1835.
* hereby Certify. That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Asahel Goodridge, as a private, is borne on a Muster roll of Capt. W m Perley's Company, in Col. James Frye's Regt. where he is allowed from April 6 th 1775, seven days. m. d. 0-7
Asael Goodridge's name as a private, is borne on a Muster roll of Capt. W m Perley's Company, where he is allowed from April 26 th to August 1 st 1775, three months and nine days. 3-9
Asael Goodrich claims for eight months services under Capt. W m Perley, in 1775 & 76, but the roll is not found in this Office for services in 1775 & 76, after August 1 st 1775.
Edward D. Bangs Leg

Christian Church PASTORAL NY
Rev. Isaac Pence
21 Jan
for secretary of War Washington
Pension documents

Rochester N.Y. 14 January 1836
Sir,
In answer to your letter of the 2 nd November last, I beg leave to inclose you a certificate from the Secretary of State Massachusetts, in relation to the services of Asael Goodridge. The certificate is evidence only of three months and sixteen days service. There seems to be no evidence of his subsequent services existing in the Secretarys office. The reason is I presume that up to the time mentioned in the certificate his services were in the State troops. His subsequent eight or nine months service seems to have been in the continental Line. Of that you have probably some evidence at Washington. If not I beg leave again to call your attention to Mr. Goodridge's declaration under oath & the two affidavits produced duly authenticated. I have the honor to be, sir, Your very obedt servant H. Gay
J. C Edwards Esq